Bean Can or Bomb? Retired Marine Diver Pulls WWII Relic from Lake

El Dorado County, California Retired Marine Corps diver Michael Clough was clearing trash from Fallen Leaf Lake, just south of Lake Tahoe, when he picked up what appeared to be bean can. The 76-year-old scuba diver periodically works to clear the area of litter, but this dive yielded more than garbage.

"It was corroded and there were threads on it at one time," Clough said. "I thought it could be mercury. They used it up here in the mines a lot."

Knowing that he should not put mercury in the trash or recycling, he held onto it for a few months. He said that despite the fact he did not believe it was any type of explosive, he brought it to the Lake Tahoe Historical Museum.

Also unable to identify the device, the museum contacted police, fearing it may be some type of landmine. South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) officers responded and requested help from the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District bomb squad, according to SLTPD spokesman Lt. Scott Crivelli.

A bomb technician X-rayed the device and determined it to be an inert WW II-era German training mine. The mine, also known as a "Bouncing Betty," when tripped would launch a few feet from the ground then explode, often around waist height.

Museum staff was evacuated while law enforcement handled the call. After it was deemed safe, all evacuation orders were lifted.